David Bergman

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Matiur Rahman Chowdhury has been the host of "Frontline," a popular Bangla-language news show, for five years. Aired live three times a week, the show gained notoriety for bringing politicians, members of civil society, and journalists together to discuss current affairs. Chowdhury distinguished himself from many of his counterparts with his soft-spoken but firm demeanor as he led his guests in substantive discussion, rather than presiding over talking heads trying to drown one another out. At a time when much of the broadcast media in Bangladesh has become muted, talk shows like Chowdhury's were one of the last spaces for critical news coverage.

New York, January 6, 2015--The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrest of the owner of a Bangladeshi TV channel, which was unavailable in several parts of the country a day after airing a speech by an exiled opposition leader.

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On December 2, 2014, a special war crimes court convicted Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman of contempt in connection with his reporting, according to news reports. The court ruled that Bergman's writing "portraying derogatory criticism" had "hurt the feelings of the nation," and ordered him to pay a 5,000 taka (US$65) fine or serve seven days in prison, news reports said. The court added that Bergman's reporting "tended to attack and [lower] the authority and majesty of the Tribunal."

It's not the first time, and it likely won't be the last: Bangladesh's
International Crimes Tribunal has demonstrated little tolerance for criticism
of its activities. Last week, the tribunal launched contempt of court
proceedings against Dhaka-based British journalist David Bergman for his blog
posts on the court.